Value of freelancers skyrockets, REC says

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's latest jobs report, the value of freelancers has skyrocketed recently, indicating a massive sea change underway in the British workforce that spells very good news for contractors and freelance workers.

The newest iteration of the REC's monthly job report for April
of this year has revealed a marked increase in not just freelancer
placements but also in contractor pay. At the same time,
recruitment of permanent workers dropped off. The REC feels that
part of the upheaval is due to the new National Living Wage going
into effect, while the upcoming Brexit referendum is likewise
weighing heavily on the minds of British employees.

The British labour market is certainly unsettled at the moment,
according to the REC's chief executive, Kevin Green. Employer
behaviour is almost certainly being influenced by uncertainty and
insecurity brought about by the possible Brexit and the NLW's
impact, Mr Green added, which has encouraged a transition to
temporary hiring from filling roles with permanent staff.

Truth be told, placements for contractors and freelancers rose
rapidly last month, with agencies reporting billings for contract
and temporary staff went up at the fastest rate in more than an
entire year. Contractor vacancy rates went up more quickly than
they did in march, though these vacancy increases do seem to be
leveling off overall.

The nursing and medical care sectors seemed to exhibit the
quickest growth so far, as the NHS seems to be finding it
struggle to fill permanent roles. This has led to demand for
locum doctors and agency nurses to increase at a marked rate.